Monday, May 22

People are making mermaids for May and posting them online, and it's the perfect reason to get an idea out of my head. I've had the notion for an Old West sheriff mermaid for a while, and there's a story or two there. At least one of them will see daylight in my planned collection of short stories for 2018. This was fun to do.

Wednesday, May 17

That link will also take you to her first issue, still available for 99 cents.That means you can get both halves for $3 total.

I'm leaning away from hero comics for now, but this issue has all the stuff I like in hero comics: melodrama, multiple enemies, a smidgen of angst, and a lot of bidness. I love this character, and I love what she wants to be. Give it a try.

Wednesday, May 10

Once more, I was invited to sit in the midst of Asheville's Comic Envy, and I offered free sketches for the day. I set up a tip/donation jar and crank out drawings for one and all. I've done this for about five years now, and it always goes well. Fun time. The day flies by.

I get to talk to kids about their favorite characters and encourage them to draw. I point out virtually all the materials I use that day -- Sharpies, pencils, sharpeners, Whit-Out pens -- can be found in grocery store and department store aisles for school supplies. $10 bucks, kids. Get to drawing. Make the comics.

The first request was a Harley Quinn for a little girl, and the day included Spawn, Thomas Jefferson, Deadpools, Batman, Batgirls, Mega Man, and someone's baby. You never know what you'll be asked to do, and I tell them that, if I can Google it, I can draw it. One woman who studies fencing asked for Princess Mononoke holding a German two-handed sword. Another wanted a wolf warrior. The only way you can prepare is to loosen up your drawing muscles and keep the sketches simple. I do headshots for the day. I also have a standard image for Deadpool, and I add a new joke text each time.

I did roughly 60 sketches for the day, including some I promised to draw later and add to customer pull lists. It's a quick way to bump the list a little and get drawings to people walking into a comic store for the first time. Those drawings included Snape, Harry Potter, and Dazzler Thor. You never know.

Captain Marvel wasn't taking any of my Littlefinger crap.

Thor was there!

I got to draw in a Wonder Woman-themed sketchbook.

Squirrel Girl was there!

Here's the list of characters I was asked to draw on FCBD, in order:

Harley Quinn

X-23

Harley Quinn

Quiet from Metal Gear

Bane

Snape

Spawn

Deadpool

Gambit

Raven

Harry Potter

Deadpool

Deadpool

Bucky

Cyclops/Wolverine

A wolf warrior

Captain Underpants

Captain Underpants

Deadpool

Deadpool

Deadpool

Robin

Dazzler Thor

Princess Mononoke

Spider-Gwen

Hello Kitty

Batgirl

Batgirl

BB-8

BB-8

Mega Man

Groot

Le Feu

Star Lord

Edward Scissorhands

Tina Belcher

Harry Potter

Moon Knight

Spider-Man Noir

TMNT

My Little Pony Fluttershy

Ralph Snart

Deadpool

Captain America

Sonic

Flash

Rocket Raccoon

Thomas Jefferson

Dragonball Goku

Someone's baby

Batman

Wonder Woman

Batman

The next day, I worked a booth at the Asheville ZineFest and busted out this Skeletor for my plastic booth buddy.

A big weekend! Next up, The Deputy and I get dressed up for a local comic show where I DON'T have a table for once. Party on.